Moving on and Moving Back
by Mrs. Hotchner-Wolfe
Summary: This is a story about Aaron Hotchner... Their past and what I hope to be their future!
1. Intro

**A/N: Not entirely sure what Hotch and Kate's story is, so just bare with me. **

Aaron Hotchner followed as the older, British man led him past desk after desk after desk. His boss, Jason Gideon had requested he go to England on his own and help Scotland Yard to find a serial killer who had killed in the states and now England. The older agent made a bee line for a female agent who was on the phone. She looked up as they approached, quickly ending her conversation on the and stood up.

" Joyner... This is SSA Aaron Hotchner with the FBI's Behavioural Analysis Unit. Agent Hotchner, this is Kate Joyner, leading the case here. You two will be working together on this case. I'll leave you two to it." He left.

Kate turned to Hotchner. " One thing I need to get out in the open... This is my case... I don't need some smarmy, American, FBI Profiling git taking over my case."

" Well you need an American profiler, but if you **do **end up needing a smarmy, American, FBI Profiling git taking over your case, it'll just take one phone call to Quantico." He smiled.

Kate stared at him. " I need a coffee."

" And I need to get caught up."

" I'm good at multi-tasking. Kate grabbed her long coat and led him out in the rain to a coffee place across the street.

As they sipped on their coffees, Hotch explained that after killing two white females between thirty and forty in a state, he's quickly move onto another. It started in Colorado then went onto Minnesota, New York, Ohio and then Maryland.

Kate then explained to him that nearly a week after his last American killings, a similar killing spree had started there. " He's good," she said. after a moments silence.

"... and sick," Hotch agreed. He looked at his watch. " I can't believe it's ten o' clock already."

" Mmm... Time difference," Kate said. " We should probably get some rest... We'll talk forensics tomorrow." They stood up. Hotch followed her to her car. " Can I give you a lift anywhere?" she asked.

" I have my own car thanks." He indicated to the black car a few space down.

" I meant what I said... and if you even consider taking my case, you will not want to know what will happen."

She got into her car and drove off.


	2. Steps too far

**Step too far**

A week had passed. Gideon requested Hotch stay in London until the killer was caught. " It could be weeks," he warned. Though the idea of weeks away from Hayley was something he wasn't looking forward too, Hotch agreed to it. It was his job. He had to do it to support her. She wasn't happy about it a bit. She yelled at him, constantly telling him sorry wasn't good enough. He loved Hayley, but he hated her like this. He couldn't talk to her, reason with her. After she'd finally finished yelling about the fact that he would be working with a woman, Hotch slammed the phone down on the unit without saying goodbye. He flung himself on the bed and stared at the ceiling until he finally fell asleep.

He found the highlight of his days now were when he was with Kate. They were getting on very well: laughing, talking, lightening the mood at the latest crime scene for one another. They talked about so much, they had nearly everything in common: books, music, movies. Though Hotch couldn't fathom why, he hadn't told her about his marriage to Hayley. Though, he though, it would have been nice to vent.

They'd grown to meeting in the cafe across the road for breakfast, lunch and dinner, though dinner was mostly had at her place or the hotel restaurant. Hotch never knew he could admit it to anyone, but he had grown very attracted to her. He had been the one to ask her to dinner the first time, he had asked her to dance and, according to Kate, he had began the string of flirtatious comments.

" No, I didn't," he insisted one night at dinner.

" Yes you did, Agent Hotchner, and don't you ever forget that," she replied pointing a fork at him. And, though he felt guilty for a moment, that didn't stop him from continuing the flirting.

However, one night, it was taken too far. Hotch and Kate had had dinner in the hotel one night. It was getting late so, being a gentleman, Hotch walked her home. They laughed and talked the whole way there. Finally they arrived at the house. Kate looked at Hotch, who was looking at the floor. " So, coffee?" she asked. Her back was to the door.

" I would but my boss said to update him anytime I could so I might head back to do that." When he looked up, Kate was staring at him. In the instant he looked up, Kate had her fingers wound in his hair and their lips together. He hesitated for a moment, thinking about Hayley, but, after Kate whispered his name, she and everyone in Quantico, Virginia were nothing to him. Just as he gave into her kisses, she pulled away from him and turned to open the front door. Hotch's lips never left her skin.

They finally made it into the house, into her bedroom but collapsed onto the floor. They stayed there all night.

When Kate woke the next morning, Hotch wasn't there. He'd left after the sun rose and hurried back to the hotel. He slammed his room door shut and rested his head against the door, finally thinking about Hayley and Quantico. He grabbed his cell phone and called her. " Hey, sweetie... yeah, I know it's early... I miss you too... I love you too...yes, like crazy!" Hotch realised his guilt had nothing to do with his infidelity, but with the lies he was currently feeding his wife.

ORIGINALLY TWO SEPARATE CHAPTERS

" Hi," Kate greeted as she reached the desk where Hotch was sitting. She threw her stuff on her seat.

He greeted her with a smile. " How was your morning?" he asked

Kate shook her head. " Please don't do that."

"Do what?" he asked genuinely confused

" Act like nothing happened..." she replied, sitting down.

" I wasn't, I wouldn't, Kat, I promise... I don't want to act like nothing happened... Last night was fantastic, the best I've had in a long time... I never want to forget it."

" I'm sensing a but."

" My family's, my friends are in Virginia, yours are here... If we keep this up, we're just gonna end up falling harder and harder for each other and it will be completely unbearable when I have to leave..."

" So what you're saying is that we can keep doing what we did until you have to leave, at which point neither one will want to let the other go?"

" Basically..."

" Ok, well... I say we keep doing what we're doing and see what happens..." She stopped him before he could interrupt her. " We can't pretend like we don't have feelings for each other." He nodded and subtly took her hand.

They had dinner that night at the hotel. It was uncomfortable, they both knew where they were going to end up. And they did. Kate woke up in Aaron's hotel room, in his bed, in his arms, against his bare body. She thought about the case and found it didn't scare her. Yes, she thought, as she turned to kiss him, Aaron Hotchner's arms could do magic.

For the next three weeks they never spent a night apart. they finally caught the killer. He had been seen by a five-year-old boy who saw the while thing. Hotch was scheduled to leave in a few days and Kate got them off to spend them all with him.

Two nights before he was set to leave, they were in bed, laughing, talking, kissing. Hotch looked at her. " What?" she asked.

" I love you, Kate."

" I love you too..."

" How much?" he interrupted.

" So much so that the thought of you leaving hurts so much... That I'd lave with you if you asked me to-"

" Do it!" he said.

" What?!" Kate asked surprised.

" You said you would if I asked... I'm asking Kate, come with me.."

" Darling-"

" Kate!"

" Let me sleep on it... It's late... we'll talk in the morning..."

" Fine," he sulked.

" We **will** talk in the morning!"

And they did. they agreed that Hotch would fly out the next day as scheduled, and he would meet Kate there at the airport tom meet her.

As they arrived at the airport, Hotch pulled out one last surprise: an engagement ring. Though Kate insisted it was far too soon to be thinking about that, Hotch countered by saying it was too soon for her to be willing to leave England for America. She finally gave in and agreed causing the tears she had willed back for her love to come flowing out.

A/N: I know they got engaged pretty quick, but I just didn't know what else to write.


	3. Lo Fi

Aaron Hotchner spent yet another late night at the office. Throwing a case file onto the desk, he answered the ringing cell phone in his pocket.

"Hotchner."

"Aaron…" He immediately recognised the voice, though he hadn't heard it in years. It was that of Kate Joyner. Se had e-mailed him a few weeks earlier to discuss a case with him in New York.

"Hey, Kate… Ah no, I'm actually still at the office, getting some things… Whoa whoa whoa, hold on, start from the beginning… No we're all familiar with the case… When was the latest murder?... Has anything in the MO changed?..." He continued asking her questions late into the night."

Early the next morning, he arrived at JJ's office. She was on the phone but hurriedly put the caller on hold when he walked in. "Can we get the team in the round table room ASAP? We have a case?"

" Nothing came by my desk?" she said, unsure.

" It came directly to me." He walked away from the office.

When JJ entered the conference room, everyone was already there.

" Don't get comfortable," Hotch began, " there'll be plenty of time to debrief on the plane.

" Where we headed?" Reid asked.

" New York."

" Five shootings in two weeks... It's about time we got the call," Rossi stated.

" I want to take Garcia with us; hopefully they'll give us access to their surveillance system."

" What do we know?" Emily asked.

" All the killings are midday. Single gunshot to the head with a .22."

" Any witnesses?" JJ asked.

" None."

" .22 calibre is only 1.50 decibels. It could be that people aren't even registering the gunshot until the unsub's already leaving the scene," Reid said.

" Sounds like mob hits," Morgan tried.

" Except none o them have any connection to organised crime."

" Do they have a connection to each other?" Emily asked.

" None they've found," Hotch explained.

" How about communicating with the police?"

Hotch showed them a clip of the latest murder. " Is that the best image the have?" JJ asked.

" He wears a hood... keeps his head down."

" This guy is bold... Crowded area in broad daylight," Prentiss stated.

" So they're completely random?" Rossi asked.

" It seems so, yes," Hotch answered.

" It's Son of Sam all over again," Reid thought aloud. The team were in silence taking it in.

When they reached the New York field office, JJ was taken aback by the appearance of SSA Kate Joyner. " Is it just me or does she look like Hayley?" she said to Garcia.

"Kate…" Hotch greeted.

"Aaron," Kate smiled. "How've you been?"

"Well, thank you… Ah, this is my team: David Rossi, Emily Prentiss, Jennifer Jareau, Penelope Garcia, Derek Morgan and Spencer Reid."

"Thanks for being here. Anything that you need just tell me… Please don't stand on protocol."

Garcia spoke up. "What can you tell me about the city's surveillance?"

"Um, it's run by the NYPD... still in the infant stages. It's been rather controversial… American privacy laws… Um, but they have had some success."

"And I'll have complete access?"

"They're already expecting you… Shelly?"

The assistant led Garcia away. "I'd like to get a map of the Burrow. I want to do a comprehensive geographical profile of the area in order to ascertain the unsubs mental map before it's clouded by our own linkage blindness," Reid said.

Two detectives approached them. "See you've brought your own computer," one of them said.

"Ah, Detectives Brustin and Cooper. I'll let you do the introductions.

"You caught the first shooting?" Rossi asked.

"They've all been in different precincts. Wasn't till the third murder anyone made a connection," Cooper explained.

"I guess this is where we play nice and ask you what you need?" Brustin asked gruffly.

Kate became uncomfortable. "Ha, I'll let you all figure out what exactly that is. I do ask that you run everything by me first. It's been my experience that having one butt on the line is enough."

"Yes ma'am," Brustin said.

Kate took a step closer to Hotch. "Can I have a word with you in private?"

"Sure…" Hotch looked to his team. "Excuse me." He followed her into her office. He moved closer to her. "So you're getting resistance from the local detectives," he stated more then asked.

She sat on her desk. "Nothing I wasn't expecting… They're good detectives, just no self respecting cop want to have his butt kicked by some broad with a posh British accent." Hotch smiled.

"So what's going on?"

Kate looked out the window. "What can you tell me about Derek Morgan?"

Later that day, the whole team was hard at work. Hotch and Kate were in her office. They had just received footage from Garcia. He glanced at her. "Can I ask you something? When was the last time you went home and got some sleep?"

"None of us are getting any sleep till this is over."

They got a call to another crime scene. They made their way to the crime scene to meet Rossi, Reid and Morgan. They sat in silence some of the way there until Kate broke it. "Aaron…" She hesitated.

"What is it?" he asked, glancing over to her.

She was looking down at her hands. "I owe you an explanation…"

Hotch took a deep breath. "No, Kate you don't."

"Aaron-"

"It was a long time ago."

"Would you let me explain?" she asked.

"You don't owe me anything."

"Then I owe me an explanation to you." So he let her talk. "I was ready to… Leave, marry you… I did, I loved you…" When he looked at her again, she was looking at him, a serious look on her face. "But when I found your wedding ring on my bedroom floor, it kind of killed the fantasy."

He looked at her. "Are you trying to trick me?" he asked.

"No… I found your ring on the floor, and after a few days, I realised what was going on… I was engaged to a married man who was willing to leave his wife for me and I just couldn't have her life ruined. So, I sent it back to you with a note and my engagement ring…"

"Kate…I never left my ring in London."

"Really… cause, the ring I found said 'Aaron Hotchner 1990'."

"I found my ring in my pants a week after I got back… before I got your note and ring…" Realisation hit them both. "Hayley found them and put the ring into my pants…"

"I should have told you sooner…"

"Forget it…"

They arrived at the scene soon after. Inside the yellow crime scene tape, the agents are intent, focused on any clues that might be left to tell them about the killer. Outside the tape, New Yorkers watch, frightened, critical, suspicious.

"Is this what it felt like during "Son of Sam's" reign of terror?" Kate asked Brustin.

"During those days we realized that if violence is truly random, there is no way to stop it." He looked around. "The people of New York have figured that out as well."

"Based on the camera's location, the only thing we'll see on the surveillance footage is the back of the unsub's head," Morgan states.

"You shouldn't make assumptions." She walked away.

Morgan turns to Hotchner. "Why am I catching attitude from Joyner?"

"The FBI is watching Kate closely on this case, and if she doesn't solve it she will be reassigned: you're at the top of the list to replace her."Rossi picked up the tarot card – it is the "Death" card.

"Is the killer into spiritual garbage?"

"The card actually symbolizes transformation or change such as a marriage or a job promotion. Based on the fact that the DC Sniper left the exact same card at a scene, this killer must see himself in that role: he thrives on creating a panic, and he studies other cases. He knows the BAU is here studying him," Hotch explained."Give the general profile we've developed to the different agencies and shifts as they arrive," Hotch said.

"We should be posted at different possible target sites around the city," Morgan disagreed.

Kate shook her head. "I invited the BAU to give profiles, not to go out onto the streets."

Morgan argued "Targeting egress and entrances to specific, high-target neighborhoods would be a better use of their manpower. We should concentrate on Express Stops such as 14th, 42nd, and 59th-"

"It's not your call," Hotch said. Morgan walked , Emily, JJ, and Reid walked into the lobby of their hotel late that night. Emily noticed a late edition newspaper that contains a screen shot of the subway killer. The group stopped to check it out. Reid saw that a familiar figure was waiting in the bar. JJ immediately recognised Detective Will LaMontagne.

"Will."

"JJ I don't want you on this case, not with what's going on."

A confused Hotch looks at JJ and Will. "Is there a problem?"

JJ looks at Will before turning back to her team. "I'm pregnant."

"Oh my god!" Emily exclaimed. Both she and Reid respond with well-wishes and hugs.

"I asked JJ to marry me."

"Will."

"We're workin' out some kinks."

"We'll give you two some privacy," Hotch said. He turned to leave. JJ rushed after him.

"Hotch."

"You could have told me," he whispers.

"I know."

"I understand if you need some time," he assured her.

"I don't."

He nodded. "Seven am."

Early the next morning, Morgan and Prentiss begin delivering the profile to city law enforcement. They advise the officers that these killings are not random, and they are not personal, sexually related, or about greed. Rossi, Reid and Kate are briefing officers in another location. They explain that the Death card links these cases to the DC Sniper whose initial motivation was to cover up the murder of his ex-wife. The NY officers are concerned that the unsubs now seem to be playing games just because the BAU has arrived – and Morgan and Prentiss cannot deny it. Reid explains that most killing teams consist of one intelligent member, and, based on the times of the killings, at least one member has a steady job. Rossi asks the officer to check businesses in their precincts that open and close around the time of the shootings, hoping to identify a father/son-like pair that meets the dominant profile. Another possibility, although unlikely, is that of a gang initiation. Reid and Prentiss hand out packets of information on known gang the streets of New York, people are noticing the heavy police presence. Garcia and Officer Bartleby are also watching – following movements of people via the surveillance camera system. Even with 80 undercover officers and over 4000 cameras, it is unlikely they will be able to prevent another shooting, but they may be able to catch the killer after the fact. Scanning the images, Bartleby notices a hooded man walking through a deserted subway station and hurriedly picks up the phone and notifies the FBI that there is a suspect at the 59th and Lexington platform. Hotchner tells Morgan, Rossi, and Joyner about the suspect and Morgan pointedly tells Joyner that they could have been there. Garcia and Bartleby watch as the suspect pulls a gun from his pocket and shoots a woman in the back of the head and rush up the stairs to the surface. Rossi asks Garcia to get "eyes on him aboveground," and Garcia follows the man's movements until he disappears from the camera's sight.

Morgan is angry "We could have been there to arrest the killer if you had simply taken my advice," he says to Kate.

Kate is unconvinced. "Chances are the unsub would have moved on to another location if they had been at the station."

"Morgan, we're here to present a profile, not second guess police actions," Hotch defends.

"Who gives a crap… we could have helped them."

"We need to stay focused."

Morgan take a step closer to Hotch. "Really? Cause from where I'm standing, all your focus is on her."

"Take a walk – now," Hotchner whispered.

Morgan walked out of the station. Kate soon moved off to her office. Hotch watched for a second before looking at the footage that day, Morgan and Kate are watching, and re-watching, the video of the latest killing. This is the first time the team has killed two days in a row – they are speeding up. Kate has even more disheartening news.

"Garcia has analyzed the latest footage and this killer is different. There are at least three people involved in these crimes." She looks into Morgan's eyes. "I want you all out on the street tomorrow."

Hotchner reminds the others that, upon their arrival in New York, everyone was talking about the similarities between this case and "Son of Sam." Both sets of killings seemed random with no sexual or need-based component. But, Morgan adds, David Berkowitz – the Son of Sam killer – admitted that he would return to the crime scenes later and masturbate. Nodding, Hotchner tells him about the plan to have Garcia go through video of the crime scenes for days after the murders and see if she can identify anyone returning to each hearing that Emily has killed one of the team members, Hotch and Kate arrive. Rossi tells them about the situation and the new problem it represents.

"The unsubs are disciplined, using counter-surveillance, they know the FBI's movements, there's a hierarchy. The only criminals that fit this new profile are terrorists."The team head back to the field office. They discuss the facts: these killings represent a bombing, and someone is staged nearby to figure out police and medical response time. The goals of terrorists are often to take out civilians first, and then first responders. This plan is brilliant – the shootings seem random, and, even if one suspect is caught, the police will not connect him to a terrorist cell. They are creating panic in the city in order to make sure response time is very short. Having followers perform the murders would ensure that they are willing to "kill or be killed for the cause, Rossi notes. Pointing to his map, Reid suggests that the targets may be points of entry – all of the murders took place near a bridge or a tunnel. If bombs went off, the first response would be to stop entry into or exit from the city – people would be trapped on the calls with even more bad news. "After checking all 4,468 cameras she has found that the terrorists have hacked into the system and they now have footage of every crime scene. They have been watching since the very first murder. Hacking into each camera separately made it very difficult to trace."

The team immediately scatters: Emily goes to the hospital to check on Cooper and brief Det. Brustin, Rossi went to the Police Commissioner, and Morgan to Homeland Security. JJ and Reid went to talk to the Port Authority Police, and Hotch and Kate will talk to the mayor, but the whole team is to regroup at the Field Office.

"One advantage that we have right now is that they don't know we know they're watching," remarks the team disband, JJ is handed a message from Will. He's decided to go back to New Orleans tonight.

"Are you okay?" asked Reid, gently.

"He said he doesn't want to be in the way." She reaches into the envelope and pulls out Will's detective's shield. She took a deep breath. "He's quitting his job."

JJ turned to Hotch with tears in her eyes. "Hotch, do you need everyone in the field?"

Hotch urged Reid to talk to Port Authority by himself while JJ runs point from the office. He turned back to JJ. "Take a few minutes and return to the hotel to tell Will what is going on."

She nodded. "Thank you.."

"Oh, and JJ…" She turned back to him. "Congratulations."

She smiled. "Thank you, sir."

Hotchner and Joyner leave the FBI Field.

Garcia walks back to her black SUV and smiles at the driver before getting into the passenger seat.

JJ kisses Will outside the hotel before getting into SUV.

Rossi unlocks his black SUV and reaches for the driver's side.

Emily moves to the driver side door of a black SUV and hops in.

Morgan hurries to open the driver's side door of his black SUV.

Ried reaches for the door handle to his black doors close.

One black SUV explodes.


	4. The Aftermath

"Oh my god!" Garcia gasped, as the two agents were thrown into the air.

Hotch was awake long enough to see Kate lying on her side after being thrown against a post, a car door crushing her body. Then he lapsed into unconsciousness

When he opened his eyes, the previously crowded street was deserted. He felt blood pouring down his face. It took all his energy for him to stand and after a long time, he finally did. He looked around the street, so many thoughts running through his mind. _Where__'__re all the people? Where__'__s Kate? What happened?_

He looked over his shoulder and saw the burning SUV. It came flooding back. He looked over to the lamp post and saw Kate lying there. He ran over to her and lifted the door from off of her. Blood was gushing from her head. "Oh God," he said. "Pulse, pulse, pulse…" he said, grabbing her wrist. He checked and his face immediately fell.

"What the hell happened?" someone called.

"I need a paramedic… I have an officer down," he shouted.

Hotch couldn't remember much else. He heard Morgan and sirens. As he watched as Kate was being wheeled away, he fell back onto the ground and back into unconsciousness.

He woke up a day later. Morgan, Rossi and JJ were in the room with him. "Hi," he said, trying to smile, "what happened?" he asked.

"They set a bomb in the car Hotch," JJ explained. In anticipation to his next question she looked down. "Kate didn't make it. She had severe internal bleeding." Hotch didn't hear much after that. He didn't _feel _much.

He had himself discharged later that day, despite the doctors' objections. Rossi ordered JJ to stay with him and she agreed; She and Will would take care of him.

After an hour of Hotch not being himself, JJ couldn't take it any more. Will offered to go down for coffee and food. Hotch declined the offer.

"Hotch! You need to eat," JJ said exasperated.

"What I need is to catch these guys, JJ."

When they were alone in the room, JJ took a seat next to Hotch. "Hotch… How much did you liaise with Joyner?" she asked. It was pointless to ask. He wouldn't be acting this way if it wasn't anything more.

"I'm married JJ… I've always been married to Hailey since I was in college…" The look on her face told him she wasn't giving up. He told her. "Gideon sent me to London on a case. A man killing two white females between thirty and forty in a state, he'd quickly move onto another. After a while he moved to London.The killer was good… Kate was the lead detective on the case. We met. She was a little cold at first. Eventually we got on, we had a lot in common… one thing led to another. I fell harder for her then I ever thought possible. I asked her to move to Quantico with me ad when I was leaving at the airport, I proposed."

JJ was in shock. "Hotch… since when are you spontaneous?"

"I left… she said she'd meet me in Quantico in two weeks. I was ready to tell Hailey everything, but I got a note saying she wasn't coming and her engagement ring was with it…The other day she told me she'd found my wedding ring and that she'd sent it back with the note and ring. Before I got the note I'd found it in my pants pocket. I realized Hailey had gotten to the note first and put my ring in my pants…resealed the letter…" There was a long silence before he spoke again. "Can I ask you something?" he asked.

"Of course…"

"If I'd told her I was married would she be dead? I mean if I'd told her and promised her I'd stay in London or if she'd come and I'd convinced her to quit, would she be dead? Would fate have found another way to take her?"

"I think the smallest thing can change everything…"

Will soon reappeared with three cups of steaming hot coffee and some salads. "Wasn't sure what to get y'all so just grabbed a variety."

"Thanks," Hotch said, taking one of the cups.

2 more days passed. Kate was buried. As soon as the funeral was over, Hotch went back to work, knowing he would never be the same again. Losing Kate once was hell. Losing Hailey was torture. Losing Kate for a second time was dying over and over again.

"They killed an agent… Let's get these bastards."

He had everyone on the street minus Garcia and JJ but Will was more then willing to help.

Emily came on over the headset. "Hotch, Rossi, we have a suspect, heading through the subway.

"Let's go." They moved as fast as they could. They met Emily, Morgan and Reid on the landing of the first set of stairs. Together they inched down the second set, Rossi leading.

When they got to the platform, they found no sign of the unsub. Garcia came on over the headset. "He just stole a car. It has a GPS and I'm tracking it… Looks like it's headed in the direction of the hospital."

"If they have another bomb, hospital ORs would be he perfect place to set it off," Ried stated.

They arrived at the hospital in record time, met by Detective Brunstin and Will. The car park was completely deserted and, as they found out seconds later, so was the hospital building. "Maybe they don't want anyone hurt," Morgan suggested.

"We still need to find them," Rossi stated.

"Split up…" Hotch ordered. "Prentiss and Reid, take the second floor; Morgan and Will, the third; Dave and Brunstin take the first… I'll take the ground. Keep communication on. If contacted, respond immediately, unless you're unable to. Good luck."

"Hotch, you just got out of hospital. Someone should go with you…"

"I'm fine."

And so they split up. It was unnerving to have a hospital so empty. He suddenly realized that they had missed a floor; the basement.

"Copy that."

As he rounded a corner, he heard someone behind him. Before he could turn around, he heard a gunshot which barely missed his head. He pulled out his own gun and turned. He aimed and pulled the trigger; it was empty. _I reloaded it before we left_. He tightly closed his eyes and hugged the wall. No time to waste. "I need backup now." No answer. After firing and missing three times, the shooter began reloading his gun. Hotch quickly glanced around, and then something caught his eye. A gun and a magazine were on a metal, wheelie tray by the nurses' station. He'd definitely get to them before the shooter had reloaded. He started sprinting. He heard the trigger being pulled. He grabbed the bullet box and dove behind the station, throwing up the tray as he went, causing the bullet to hit it. He reloaded his gun and began firing. He missed again and again. He eventually ran out of bullets. _What__'__s wrong with me? _

An idea hit him. The two halls on either side of him were both connected to the hall by the elevator. If he could sneak to the hall on his left he might be able to make it to the stretch and then the elevator. _It__'__s worth a shot. _H e put his plan into action. The elevator doors closed just as bullets started flying at him.

"Thanks guys… great team-work," he said.

The elevator doors opened. The grey hall was dimly lit, giving off a red glow. Hotch wished he took Morgan's advice and brought someone with him. He made his way to the opened door at the end and went down the steps. He stood in something. Bending down and feeling, he noticed it was blood. He turned on a light in the room and checked the sign on the wall outside: _Morgue_.

Moving his eyes back into the room, he saw a body. He moved and turned it over. His eyes grew wide and vomit rose in his mouth as he stared into the lifeless face of Emily Prentiss. _Reid…_ he thought. Blood had poured from her torso, heart and head, eyes wide open. He caught sight of a bundle of bodies a few feet away. As he grew closer he recognized the face: Will LaMontagne, Derek Morgan, Detective Brunstin, Spencer Reid and David Rossi. All had the same wounds as Emily. Tears came to his eyes and he couldn't hold the vomit back anymore. Most of his friends and family had been killed. It was the first time he had truly helpless, alone. _That__'__s why no one answered._ "Garcia? You there?"

He saw three women with blonde hair sitting against a wall, all head down and tilted to the left. Hotch walked over, dreading what he was going to see. The first woman he knew was Penelope Garcia before he even lifted her face. He checked the second woman: JJ. _…and the baby._

_Why are they taking people in my life… first Kate, then my team… Who__'__s the final body?_

He couldn't think of anyone else in New York. He checked the face. "Kate!" he breathed. He stood and looked around. "What the hell is going on around here?"

"Figured it out yet?" questioned the familiar voice of former agent Jason Gideon.


	5. Reality

"Oh my god!" Garcia gasped, as the two agents were thrown into the air from the force of the explosion.

Kate felt something hard land on her, trapping an arm but the pain of that combined with the impact of the lamp pole was so unbearable that she couldn't make a single sound. Not even when she saw a hooded figure in black walk over to Hotch, lean over him and shoot. Kate couldn't tell how many times but it had definitely been more then two shots. Then she blacked out.

When she came to, she saw people walking toward her. "HELP!" she shouted. The men ran to her.

"What the hell happened here?"

"I'm trapped! Please, my partners been shot, PLEASE!" The two men pulled the door off of her arm. Her shoulder had been dislocated but her arm had gone numb and she just wanted to see if Hotch was ok. She ran as fast as she could to him. "Aaron… Aaron…" She looked at him and noted three gun wounds: one was at his side, one at his leg and another just underneath his shoulder. "I need you to help me stop the blood flow…" The two men ran over to her, each taking a wound. "Pulse, Kate, pulse…Take my place…" she said. She took his wrist and placed her fingers on it, looking for a pulse. She found it. It was faint but there. She looked up. "Call a paramedic… NOW!"

One of the men rose and called the paramedic while Kate took his place. She hadn't noticed the time moving. Then she heard sirens. "That's my boss down there," she remembered hearing Morgan say. She looked up and saw Morgan shove a cop and run toward them. He was followed by Rossi and Reid. "Morgan!" she called. The combination of their love and compassion for their boss and her pain overpowered her and caused her to break down in tears. She told them everything. "And then he walked over and shot him… I couldn't stop him! I wanted to but I just couldn't!"

The three arrived. Morgan took the strangers place on Hotch's body. Without taking her hands off the wound she let herself be held by Reid.

"Kate, the paramedics need to take him." But Kate made no moves. Soft male hands took her place on the gun shot wound. Morgan helped her stand. He held her hand in one of his and his arm was wrapped around her shoulder. He led her to a paramedic and drove with her. JJ and Emily were waiting there. A doctor took Kate to an empty room. Morgan waited with the girls and told them what happened. He told them that the paramedics were doing what they could there, eliminating any danger of moving him, then bringing him to the hospital. JJ told Morgan she had called Hayley and she was on her way.

AUAUAUAUAU

Aaron Hotchner looked at his mentor, shocked. "Gideon?" he asked, unable to comprehend that the kind caring man he once knew would do this.

As if reading his mind, Gideon answered. "I didn't do any of this…" He smiled. "In fact, none of this is real."

"Am I dead?"

Gideon laughed and stepped closer. "No. Not yet… Just unconscious-"

"Is Kate really dead?" Gideon shook his head. Relief swept over Hotch. "What about the team? Are they really dead?" Again Gideon shook his head. Hotch became authoritative. "So what do I do? How do I get back to reality?"

"Fight."

"Fight what?" Gideon looked at his chest. Hotch followed his gaze. Panic over took his worry but his fear remained when he saw blood pouring from his side and just above his heart. His pleading eyes shot up to Gideon.

"It's not real…"

"What happened, Jason? What?" he asked desperately.

"You got shot… you're losing blood… Rossi and Reid are following the ambulance, JJ and Emily are at the hospital waiting, Hayley's been contacted-"

"Kate?"

"Morgan's taken her to the hospital… You two were together… why didn't you tell me?"

"It all happened too fast and-"

"You didn't think to tell me?"

"You didn't think to come back and give a better explanation?" Hotch countered

Gideon just laughed and walked away.

RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

Kate slowly stood. Morgan had entered the room not long before with a bag Shelly had dropped of with her stuff in it and then headed back to the Field Office. Morgan walked back out to the waiting room while Kate changed.

She walked out. Waiting in the room were Morgan, Emily Prentiss, Jennifer Jareau and two women with a little boy who she did not recognized.

She hesitated before walking in. "Hey, how are you feeling?" Emily asked.

She smiled. Whenever anyone previously asked her that, she would always say she was just fine, but she couldn't in this situation. These people were professional. Instead she said, "As well as can be expected, I guess." She looked at them all. "How's Aaron?" she asked, her eyes landing on Morgan.

"Surgery." Kate turned and looked at the blonde woman. Her hair was almost the exact same as Kate's. She immediately assumed it was Hailey and that the little boy on her lap was Aaron's son.

JJ verified her assumptions. "Kate, this is Hailey, Hotch's…" She was unsure what to say.

Hailey smiled wearily. "Wife… This is Jack and my sister, Jessica."

"Kate Joyner… I was there when the car…" She assumed she didn't have to finish her sentence. "How's the case going?" she asked, turning back to Morgan

"Still nothing solid… We think that you and Hotch weren't who they were interested in… The second wave of responders."

Kate noticed a hesitation in him. "What?... Morgan, what?"

"Kate… When Shelly stopped by she told me that the director called…" Morgan looked at her. "She says she wants you to step down immediately and for me to take over…" Kate took a deep breath. "… I say screw 'em… You need to work this case. You need to take these S. out."

Kate took a deep breath. "Morgan, I'm tired… I haven't slept in days. Just… Lead the case and…Keep me updated."

"Deal…" He turned to the girls. "Let me know when he gets out."

"I'll come with you." Emily walked over to him and they left.

"Can I get anyone coffees?"

"No," Hailey said.

Kate walked out of the room. She rounded a corner and rested her head against the wall. She knew someone was standing next to her. She opened her eyes and looked at JJ.

"What happened with him?"

"I barely remember… we were walking to the car and-"

"I don't mean that… when you liaised…"

Kate was too tired to argue. "We fell…in love, I think. At least I did. I think he did, he asked me to move to Virginia with him and then proposed."

"How long did you two know each other?"

Kate smiled. "A few months."

JJ's face dropped. "I can't believe Hotch could be so spontaneous."

"Neither did I. When we me' he was SO proper and polite and authoritative, and then suddenly he was this COMPLE'LY different man… He was-" She stopped and looked down.

"He was what?"

She looked JJ in the eye, guilt ridden. "He was married. To Hailey. That's why I didn't go to Virginia… I swear I didn't know."

"Kate…"

"How bad is it, JJ?"

"Kate," she repeated.

"Please. I didn't with him because I stopped loving him. I still love him. I don't know if I could ever stop… I need to know if he's going to be ok."

"We don't know… He lost a lot of blood. If they need a donor… Jack's not a match and he may need a transfusion… He's a rare blood type."

Kate heart skipped a beat. _Please, god, please help him._

AUAUAUAUAUAUAUAUAUAU

"Aaron… you need to make some serious changes in your life," Gideon said. "Don't end up like me."

"Jason, I've lost my wife, my son… I've already let the job take over me, my life… It's all I have now."

"You need to change that."

"How?"

"Hotch, you'll figure it out… I know you will."

Gideon walked down the hall they were in and within seconds, Aaron Hotchner was alone again.

RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

Jessica had gone to get some coffee and JJ had taken Jack to the canteen. It was just Kate and Hailey in the waiting room.

Kate looked at her finger. "How long have you two been married?"

"Since he graduated from college…but we've been together since high school." Kate froze. She had never realized their love was to that extent. _Why did he jeopardize it with me?_ "How well do _you_ know him?"

"Barely… I called him to help me with the case, but we knew each other from a case we worked on together about five years in London and-" She'd said too much. Hailey's face darkened. Kate wondered why when it suddenly hit her. _The note. _She searched for something to look at, anything to keep her from making eye contact with her ex fiancée's long time wife.

"You… It was you!" Hailey said, standing.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't know he was married until I found his ring and I called the whole thing off immediately. I'm sure he never wanted to hurt you."

JJ, Jack and Jessica all returned.

"You don't know a god damn thing about my husband… And don't think you will just because he got something from you that he missed from me…"

"Clearly, we should continue this when there is a more appropriate audience… preferably none at all."

"God forbid you be humiliated." Hailey grabbed her jacket and as she was walking past, grabbed Jack's arm and led him out.

AUAUAUAUAUAUAU

Hotch made it to the ground floor and saw the exit. He had decided that he'd keep moving until he had a better plan. He wanted it to end, to see his friends, his family, Kate…He stopped. _Kate. _Suddenly the sun outside grew brighter and brighter.

RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

The four women and little boy who sat in different corners of the waiting room were all quiet when the door opened and Hotch's doctor walked in.

"There were complications, but he made it… He should be fine."

A sigh of relief swept over everyone.

"Can we see him?" Hailey asked.

"One at a time."

JJ immediately got out her cell and Hailey asked her sister to take care of her son while she went to see Hotch. Kate let a small smile form on her lips then grabbed her coat and walked out of the room, ready to kick some serious ass.


	6. Mayhem

Kate walked into the field office a woman on a mission. She walked into her office and sat in the seat behind her desk, leaning back and closing her eyes. One shot open when she heard the door open and the other shot open when she that it was Derek Morgan, walking toward her. He filled her in on the case.

She gave a weak smile. "He's out of surgery… No transfusion."

"Yeah, JJ called. She mentioned something about a stand off between you and Hailey?"

Kate laughed. "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned," she said, closing her eyes again. "How much do you know?"

"What you told JJ." Morgan looked down. "I told them I'd lead this case."

"Good. I doubt Aaron will be out of hospital soon and I don't have enough energy right now…"

Morgan took a deep breath. "Have you seen him yet?"

Kate shook her head. "They're only letting one at a time and Hailey went in first… I thought it better if I didn't start a fight with her before he woke up."

"Are you still in love with him?" he asked, quickly.

Kate was caught off guard at first, then laughed. "I guess JJ didn't tell you everything… Yes, I do, I think. I jumped at the chance of contacting him… when I thought he was going to die, I actually prayed…"

"And when you see him, you're going to tell him, right?" Kate shook her head. "Kate, he cares about you at the very least… I mean, have you seen him the last few days…?"

"He has a wife and a son."

"He has an ex-wife and a son he never sees. I've never seen him look at anybody the way he looks at you, not even Hayley."

"I was his way of relaxing on a tough case…" Kate could feel herself getting angry, _This is none of their business. _

"And he risks his wife for a fling by proposing to you?"

"Maybe he got too into playing that character… or maybe he felt he had to be the big man.

Morgan's phone rang. "Hey JJ… that's great… Alright, bye." He closed his cell. "Hotch is awake… Go; tell him how the case is going." Still no movement. He grabbed her coat and threw it at her. "That's an order."

She smiled and stood. Morgan asked an agent to take Kate to the hospital. When she arrived, she stood outside Hotch's room, observing the people in the room. JJ sat, on Hotch's right; Hailey on his left; Jessica sitting by the wall; a tall man with longish brown hair standing at the end of the bed. Jack was in his father's arms.

She knocked before walking in. Hailey's face fell and JJ's became uncomfortable. Hotch's smile grew slightly when he saw her. Kate smiled back.

"Hi… How are you feeling?" she asked, walking further into the room.

"Good… Ah, this is my brother, Sean…" The man at the end of the bed smiled at her.

"Hi…" She turned back to Hotch. "How bad is it?"

"Well, my ears are gonna be ringing for a while and I'll have a few burns and scars, but nothing too life threatening…" He looked at her arm in a sling. "They told me you tried to stop the bleeding, even with a dislocated shoulder… Thank you."

"You mightn't have been shot if I had called out when the shooter was walking over to you."

"Kate, if you'd called out, we might both be dead."

"Did you see his face?" Sean asked.

"I think so…"

"You 'think'?" Hailey asked.

"Wait, I thought you said he ad his hood up?" JJ asked.

"He did…" She took a deep breath. "When I came to, there were these two men walking past. They took the door off my arm, helped me try and stop your bleeding. Your technical analyst was going over the footage and we're assuming that one of them was the bomber slash shooter…"

"Why would someone who was trying to kill him stay, and try to keep him alive?" Hailey asked.

Kate looked Hailey in the eye. "It wasn't us, they wanted… It was the responders."

"Too bad," Hailey replied, barely audibly.

She turned to Hotch. "Also, you might want to know, Morgan's taken over the case, but I'm still working on it…"

"Has he taken the offer?"

"I can only assume so…"

"Maybe you should get your facts straight before you do or say anything… God knows you screwed up before…" Hailey stated.

Kate laughed. "I'm gonna go. Morgan needs my help in the field since-"

"You're crazy, right?" Hotch asked. "You're going into the field?"

"Morgan's right… I need to take them down… It's personal now."

"Kate, you can't hold a gun, your arm is in a sling."

"A gun is only hardware." JJ was shocked at hearing Kate say what Hotch had said to Emily less then a year ago.

Hotch was too, but his shock was visible in his smile, which grew even more so. "Just keep my team safe."

Kate smiled. "You have my word."

Her phone rang as she left. It was Brustin.

She was to meet he and the BAU at an old storage facility, he gave her the address and hung up. She told the agent to take her there.

The team began going through what they knew was the terrorists. They found evidence of more bombs. Kate's face fell when she found blueprints of the hospital.

It hit her. "We need to get to the hospital… It's the hospital!"

She and Morgan got into one SUV while Emily, Reid, Brustin and Rossi got in the other. She dialed Garcia and put her on speaker phone. She had been going over the cell phone the bomber had dropped. "He placed six calls to one number but no nine-one-one calls…"

"His friend was the paramedic… one of the ambulances has the bomb," Morgan said. He pulled up outside the front entrance and stopped. "Tell Hotch… Go."

Kate hopped out and ran as fast as she could to his room. Everyone was still there. "We have quite a major problem…"

"What?" Hotch asked.

"We were wrong about the second wave of responders… They knew we'd think that and that we'd order them not to respond. They've planted a bomb in one of the ambulances." Her phone rang. It was Morgan. "Hang on… What?"

"I got it, Kate… It's huge, but I've got twenty minutes to disarm it."

"Can you?"

"We're about to find out…"

"If I don't hear from you in ten minutes I'll evacuate the place…"

She hung up and turned to the room with a weary smile on her face. "Morgan found it… He's pretty confident he disar-" Again her phone rang. "Bugger…" she cursed silently. "Hang on…" She answered it. "Yeah…" It was Rossi, Reid, Emily and Brustin. "Morgan found the-"

They didn't give her a chance to finish. "We've got it… But it's tiny, wouldn't do any damage to someone a few meters away. There are two screens. Both said twenty minutes. But then one went down to five."

"Morgan…" she whispered. She quickly dialed Morgan but he didn't answer. "If I call you, don't answer. Evacuate the building immediately." She prayed he wasn't doing anything stupid. She ran out of the room, dialing Garcia as she went. "I need you to put me through to Morgan. NOW!"

Garcia put her on speaker phone. She could hear everything Garcia and Morgan were saying but Morgan couldn't hear her. Suddenly she heard an explosion. Finally she heard him speak again.

"Woman, you are my god given solace… Don't ever leave me."

"I can't talk to you right now, I'm mad at you," Garcia replied.

Kate smiled at their banter. She called Rossi and asked them to call JJ. Finally Kate went home. She had a shower, made herself a nice cup of tea and finally slept peacefully.


	7. Visitors

Kate woke the next morning by her cell phone. It was her supervisor. She was given three months off. Kate had no idea what she was going to do for a whole three months. She did know what she was going to do that day. She showered and put on her black, knee lenght, v-neck, quarter-length sleeved dress…

Hotch and Hailey sat in the hospital room in utter silence. Finally Hotch spoke. "Jesus Christ, Hailey…"

Hailey eyes grew wide in disbelief. "You had an affair, Aaron, a cheap, meaningless affair that you were going to continue when you got back… What the hell was I supposed to do?"

"Hailey…" Hotch didn't want to say what he was about to. "I don't want to hurt you, but I need you to know this. What happened between me and Kate wasn't a meaningless affair. I fell in love with her and I didn't love you nearly as much after I found out she wasn't coming… You broke my heart and every day I woke up, only for a moment, I found myself wishing I could hurt you."

Hailey leaned in close. "Aaron…. I miss you. I want to give us a chance…"

"I'm sorry… I didn't…" The two looked at the door. Kate was standing there, looking unsure. Hailey could feel Hotch's grip tighten on the bed and his breathing stopped. She scoffed, and looked at Hotch.

"Could you give us a few minutes?" he asked, not taking his eyes off Kate.

"I'm going to grab our son… and we'll finish this later." She stood and walked out of the room.

"Did I interrupt something?"

Hotch shook his head and smiled. "No… I'm glad you stopped by… Arm better?"

"I thought I'd try it without the sling… It felt better."

"You should learn to follow orders…"

"I can't…" She smiled and took a seat on the bed. "Listen, Aaron, I'm truly sorry… I was worrying about you, and it kinda slipped my mind that she knew and it slipped out and…"

"Kate, I don't care."

"I'm sorry…"

"I know I said this already, but thank you."

"You're welcome… You have an adorable little boy…"

"Thank you."

"You need to stop saying that."

"I spoke to Morgan last night… He's not staying in New York…"

"I've been thinking long and hard but… I don't think I will either…"

"Excuse me?"

"At least for a while, I've been thinking about going home for a while…"

They were silent for a while. Hotch looked down. "Permanently?" he asked.

She smiled. "I don' know ye'. I'd like to see my family. It's bee a while."

Again they were quiet. Finally Hotch picked up the courage to speak. "Listen, Kate…" He couldn't finish. Jack burst into the room.

"Daddy!" he exclaimed, climbing up onto the bed. Hailey and her sister followed. Kate smiled and stood up.

"I'll leave you too it… I'll see you again, before you head back Virginia," she said as she walke past Hailey.

"Oh, Kate?" he said.

"What?" she asked, exasperated for his constant gratefulness.

"Thanks…" He smiled.

"What for this time?"

"For keeping your word for once…" He let a big grin form on his face.

Kate looked at him and knew it was a dig at her not going to Virginia. She let her smile fell, but she couldn't hold it down for long


	8. Epilouge

Kate visited Hotch everyday for a week. One day, the day she had planned to confess her love for him, when she stopped by, she was surprised to see the room empty. She stopped a passing nurse. "Excuse me… The man who was here, can you tell me where he is now?"

The nurse just shrugged and walked away.

Kate didn't understand. She walked aimlessly around the hospital. She ran into Brustin.

"Joyner, you here to see Cooper?" he asked.

"Hotchner, but I can't find him anywhere…"

"They went back to Virginia," he explained.

"What?" _Why didn__'__t he tell me? _

Kate continued to walk around aimlessly.

Hotch was in the car with Morgan driving back to Virginia. They sat in silence most of the way there. When they nearly reached Hotch's house, Morgan struck up conversation. "You two gonna keep in touch?" he asked.

"Sorry?"

"You and Kate… old friends?" He looked at Hotch.

"Doubt it."

"Do you love her?"

"What?"

"Do you?"

"Everyone seems to believe that what we had meant nothing, maybe I should start believing it too."

"She's in love with you, Hotch…" Hotch scoffed. "She told me. She said she couldn't wait to contact you and that when she thought you were going to die, she prayed." Hotch looked at him. "She, loves, you…"

"When I found out that Kate wasn't coming to Virginia, I spent… weeks… in a downward spiral. I grew scared that I'd become one of the monsters that we hunt down…"

"Hotch--"

"When I was unconscious, I saw Gideon… He said I needed to make changes… I was seriously considering moving to New York if Kate wanted to give it a shot… But I need to make it work with Hailey, we have Jack…"

"Do you love Hailey?" Morgan took Hotch's silence as an answer.

"I wanted to…"

Morgan stopped the car at the sidewalk. Neither man noticed the woman standing on his porch until they were out of the car.

"Hey," Morgan greeted.

"Hi," she replied.

"I'll talk to you later, Morgan. Thanks…" he said as he walked to the house. Morgan got back into the car and drove away.

He barely looked at Kate as he unlocked the door.

"Aaron-"

"What are you doing here Kate?" he asked, turning back to her.

"You… you didn't say goodbye… You never said goodbye… Not in New York. Not in England."

"Jesus, Kate… Make up your mind… I ask you to come, you don't. I don't ask you to come, you do. What do you want?"

"I want my goodbyes," she yelled at him.

Hotch grabbed Kate roughly by the shoulders and kissed her, pushing her against a pillar. "Hi," he said, barely pulling away.

He pulled her into the house, both undressing the other as they went. They knocked over a table with a light and some pictures, but they took no notice.

Finally they made it to the bedroom, both naked. They were both amazed that the other still remembered all the little points that drove them crazy. When they finished late in the night, they both lay in silence in each others arms, both fighting the need to sleep. They wanted to spend every second they could alert. They had no clue what the future held.

"Kate?" Hotch said as the sun rose.

"Yeah," she replied. She pulled her body closer to his, causing his to tense up.

"You still going back to England?"

"It might be best…"

"For how long?"

"Not long. Aaron, I love you. I really do. I can't stop. But with our history, we need to be apart for a while, sort things out-"

"I don't need to sort anything out because I love you too."

"It'll only be for a while… I promise… I promise," she repeated as she began kissing him again. There was a knock from downstairs. Hotch tried so hard to pull away.

"I need to get… that…" he said, starting to pull away. "Mm, where's my… mmm, shirt?" he asked in between kisses.

"I think we took it off… on the stairs…" Kate said.

"Be right back."

He pulled on a pair of jeans and forced himself not to take one last glance at the woman he was in love with lying in his bed.

He picked his shirt up from the top of the stairs and as he was pulling it on as he walked down the stairs, he stopped. Standing in the living room was Hailey. She was looking at the mess created the night before, confused, but when she noticed Hotch standing with his shirt half buttoned and scratches all over his chest, she realized what had happened.

She stood up and walked out without a word. "Hailey," he tried as she walked. But he quickly gave up and walked back up to his bedroom. Kate was sitting on the edge of the bed, wearing one of Hotch's tee shirts. He climbed in behind her and wrapped his arms securely around her waist.

"Going somewhere?" he whispered.

"Don't you have to go to work?"

"Nope…"

"Well, we can't stay in bed all day…" Kate said.

"Well, we could try…" He pulled her back down on the bed and didn't let her go until later that evening.

Hotch went with Kate to the Airport a few days later. He held her hand tightly, not wanting to let her go, for fear she'd never come back. Her plane was boarding in minutes.

"I'll call when I land, promise…" she smiled.

The final calling to board was made over the intercom.

"I should go." She went to walk away but Hotch grabbed her tightly, pulling her back and kissing her.

"I love you…" he whispered.

"I love you too. Aaron… I have to go…"

"Ahhh, ok… ."

"Are you going to say goodbye?" she smiled.

He closed his eyes thoughtfully for a second. "No." He finally let her go and as she disappeared into the plane, he got the sickly feeling he would never see her again.

**That was the final chapter. There are rumors of a sequel but you'll just have to wait and see. **


End file.
